A Plague, a Babe and a Bastard
by kazot
Summary: AU: Set post Swak, Tony is recovering from the plague and Ziva who is Tony's girlfriend has come to the us to care for him but Ari is also back in town and the two lovers get caught in between Gibbs and Ari's vendetta. TIVA, just a fun what if scenario probably will only be two chapters, kate is ofcourse alive and involved in this fic and meets ziva. update: final chapter.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS**

 **A/N: This is a fun what if story namely what if Ziva and Tony were dating prior to them meeting in the show and she returned to the US to care for him as he recovered from the plague right when Ari was back in town. Post Swak pre Twilight.**

A Plague, a Babe and a Bastard

It was warm, it was nice, it was good. A heavy sleep, a peaceful sleep, a sleep that could only be brought by a very tiring day or very, very good sex and Anthony Dinozzo jr. had had both. In his sleep he nuzzled closer to her, to her olive skin and wild curly hair inhaling her scent mixed with that of their lovemaking.

It was a noise, a small one and her immediate frantic reaction that awoke him with a startle. Before he knew it Ziva stood gun in hand as naked as the day she was born, sweat and other fluids dripping from her body aiming at the intruder.

"Ari?" she asked and to Tony's complete confusion she dropped the gun put on a robe that laid next to the bed and hugged the terrorist that had kidnapped Kate and wounded Geralt, the one his boss had a personal vendetta against.

While Tony was trapped in his confusion his girlfriend and a terrorist where talking animatedly in Hebrew before him. Ziva seemed completely relaxed for which Tony took credit, the sex had been amazing but also happy to see Ari, were they friends? Tony didn't know. But Ziva quickly solved that problem.

"Tony, meet my brother Ari" Ziva said with a smile. Tony who had put on some boxers hoped his recognition was not readable as he put on his best Dinozzo smile and shook the man's hand.

"Nice to meet you," Tony said, "I would say pleasure to finally meet you but Ziva being a spy and all we don't really talk too much family or work."

Ari laughed softly at that.

"I'm going to assume you're a spy as well since you're breaking into my apartment in the middle of the night."

Ari smiled, a warm smile, "occupational hazard I hope you don't mind I needed to talk to Ziva, she tells me you are a federal agent so you understand the need to keep conversations confidential."

"Oh I do, I gotta hit the head so I'll let you talk, I don't speak Hebrew anyway but It'll make you more comfortable. "

He grabbed his phone from the nightstand to which Ari gave him a suspicious look but Dinozzo applied his best tactic: smile and make people think you're stupid. "What? you don't play snake on the toilet?" he asked with a grin passing the terrorist giving Ziva a quick peck on the lips, it might be the last so he better savour it and he headed into the bathroom closing the door hoping they thought he just wanted privacy and speed dialled 1.

"This better be good Dinozzo" The rough sleepy voice of his boss came into the phone.

"Boss "Tony hissed quietly "Ari Haswari is in my apartment."

"What?! are you alright? are you shitting me Dinozzo? cause I will headslap you into..."

"Boss! he's right outside the door and I'm locked up in the bathroom, he's my girlfriend's brother."

"Dinozzo!" Gibbs barked, "don't tell me you failed to mention that you knew Ari beforehand."

"Boss, I just found out, Ziva's Mossad and I'm a federal agent we don't exactly go into details about work and Ziva's last name is David not Haswari."

"You're hooking up with deputy director David's daughter and you didn't think to mention it?"

"Well it's not like we ever talk business or whatever and we're not just hooking up it's getting pretty serious, she's thinking about moving to the states getting a job here and …"

"Dinozzo! I don't care, can you arrest him or not?"

"Boss! there are two trained assassins in my bedroom and all I have on me is my boxers and a phone."

"Can you at least stall? I'm almost there."

"On it boss!" he said before shutting down the phone. He flushed and with a smile came out of the bathroom Ziva was getting dressed as Ari was sitting in the kitchen helping himself to a glass of his wine which he and Ziva had enjoyed last night as he softly talked on the phone.

Ari ended his call and in a lighting swift motion had his gun aimed at Tony's head. "Why were you calling one Leroy Jethro Gibbs? "he asked with a mocking tone.

"Well I just explained I won't be back for work yet, you see I just recently got the plague I'm still recovering and since you're here I thought I'd take you and Ziva for some sightseeing and since he doesn't actually sleep but builds a boat in his basement all night I hoped he would tell my boss why I'd not be in tomorrow." His lie was crappy but at least he nailed rule #7, he hoped Ari didn't know Gibbs rank or that he was on the team looking for him and thus knew him but deep down he knew it was futile.

"Ari !" Ziva said astonished before going on a string of heated Hebrew words.

But Ari didn't seem to care about Ziva's anger or Tony's crappy lie and the sound of multiple gunshots soon rang through the building.

Dammit Dinozzo why'd you have to be so stupid. hey boss my girlfriend's a Mossad assassin I thought you'd like to know that, would that really have been so difficult to mention? but as soon as Gibbs stepped out of the car his angers subsides as gunshots rang through the air outside Tony's apartment and he rushed ahead calling 911.

When he got to the apartment Ari was gone but Tony laid on the floor blood pouring out of his shoulder a hysterical woman next to him.

"Tony, Tony look at me!" she said her hands applying pressure to the wound or wounds actually he'd been shot in the side as well. "not so hard to do sweetcheeks. "Tony said with a smile causing a involuntary chuckle to escape Gibbs's lips, always the charmer even on his deathbed.

"Ambulance is on its way," Gibbs said announcing his presence crouching down softly headslapping him, "you hang in there Dinozzo that's an order."

"On it boss "Tony said dutifully surprising the exotic beauty hanging over him.

"Ari shot to kill, I tried to shove the gun away but I only managed to make him miss the heart."

"He's gone," Gibbs announced but soon the sound of the ambulance and the EMT's rushing up the stairs stopped any conversation as Tony's health came first.

Agent Todd rushed out of her car towards the hospital, she'd gotten a call this morning that Tony was shot and was in the hospital in critical condition and that Ari was somehow involved. Kate met up with Gibbs who was about to leave. "how is he Gibbs?" she greeted straight to the point as the man liked it.

"In surgery, ducky's on his way to keep me posted. Get miss David's statement and Tony's when he wakes up make sure to do it before they drug him up and make sure Ari doesn't try to finish the job!" Gibbs shouted as he headed off presumably to find Ari.

Kate was confused, Tony had still been recovering from the plague and wasn't cleared for duty let alone field work so how did he get into a gunfight with Ari Haswari? Kate regretted not stabbing the bastard more and more each day. As she found the waiting room for Tony's surgery she was greeted by a woman franticly pacing up and down the hallway with balled fists which was normally a macho male response to an evil or a problem that could not be solved with violence.

"Miss David? "she asked kindly to the young woman but her response was anything but that and soon she had a small pistol trained on her.

"Guns are not allowed in a hospital miss not without…"

"No one comes close to Tony without an id, "the woman hissed in a foreign accent unknown to Kate.

"I'm special agent Caitlin Todd NCIS, I work with Tony "she said softly showing her id trying to calm the frantic woman. Where the hell did Tony find this girl? and why was she so attached to him?

"The prudish one, yes? "the woman asked a sly smile now gracing her lips as she hid her gun again, "Tony has told me a lot about you."

"I am not prudish," Caitlin said annoyed, "and I'm afraid Tony has told us nothing about you."

"Well he was hoping to do it when he was recovered but those plans are gone now. " Ziva said her smile disappearing and a sad mask of a face being applied.

"I wanted to talk to you about that, I'm here to take you're full statement of the events of this morning."

"Okay."

"Full name and occupation."

"Ziva David Mossad officer."

"Mossad? you're an Israeli spy? "she said astonished that she was part of the Israeli intelligence service.

"Good, very good I had to explain what it was to Tony when we first met, "she said with a soft smile.

"You are aware that Mossad is not allowed to operate on US soil?"

"Oh, I am not here on duty for my country but my duty as a girlfriend."

"Duties as a girlfriend?" Kate asked.

"When you get told your boyfriend almost died of the damn plague wouldn't you come over and take care of him to make sure he recovers?"

"You're right," Kate amended, "God knows Tony can barely take care of himself normally and with the plague!"

"Yes I know! he's hopeless! so I came over because he needed me not because of my work."

"Can I just ask you off the records why? "

"Why what?" Ziva asked confused.

"Why Tony."

"Oh well he's very funny and entertaining he makes me feel young and careless which I've never felt before like in those stupid chic flicks he makes me watch thinking I'll like them, oh and he's an amazing lover."

"Really?" she asked not able to hide her interest.

"He can go on and on I've never had a lover that could meet my … appetite" she smiled saucily," oh and he has this thing he does with his tongue..."

"Enough! I get the picture" Kate said annoyed that her mind went there, to the forbidden realm of Tony Dinozzo the X-rated peter pan.

"Oh Tony is right you are a prude! "Ziva said with an annoying smile.

"So you were in Tony's apartment this morning when the shooting happened?" Ziva simply nodded her playfulness gone and her face all business. "Can you go over what happened?"

"Well Tony and I were sleeping after our extensive lovemaking." Ziva said with a straight face.

"Yeah, yeah we get it "Kate interrupted sick of Ziva's games she truly was right for Tony, she already got right under her skin and she'd only just met the woman.

"We got woken up by someone entering the apartment and I held my gun at him. The intruder was Ari Haswari my half-brother."

"Wait! what!? Ari Haswari is your brother?"

"Yes, we have the same father and he's a Mossad spy undercover in Hamas or at least I thought he was, the old Ari would never shoot an innocent man especially not an American agent, the trouble he'd get in with the US government let alone with me!" Ziva said the threat simply and without emotion but Kate could see in her eyes that she meant it.

"So after you identified Ari what happened ?"

"I dropped my weapon and we started talking in Hebrew, he needed my help to make it out of the US after his mission but he did not say what the mission was and I didn't ask."

"Why not?"

"We are both Mossad officer's we understand the need for confidentiality."

"Then what?"

"I introduced Ari and Tony, Tony seemed flustered but I thought it was from being sleepy, sick and being caught naked in bed with your girlfriend by her brother who just broke into your apartment."

"Yeah that's pretty weird."

"But now I know It's because Tony recognized Ari so after the introductions were made Tony went into the bathroom with his phone Ari found it suspicious but Tony told him he'd play snake on the toilet, he actually called his boss which Ari found out when someone who must have been tracking Gibbs's phone called him to inform him about it and as soon as he came out of the toilet he held a gun at Tony demanding to know why he called Gibbs. Tony tried to charm his way out but Ari didn't buy it so he shot him but I managed to hit his arm making him miss Tony's vital organs and then Ari fled the scene. I held pressure on Tony's wounds and soon after Gibbs arrived with the ambulance not far behind."

"Have you tried reaching anyone in Mossad for the status of Ari's mission."

"I have tried but my father hasn't answered."

"Your father?"

"Deputy director David."

Kate whistled softly "Tony what have you gotten yourself into."

It was not long before they were joined by a distraught looking ducky who rushed towards them. "My dear what happened Jethro called me to come over apparently Anthony was rushed here."

Ducky seemed to be more surprised then fazed by the gun that met him and the beautiful Israeli owner that carried it.

"Ziva calm down this is doctor Donald mallard he works with us "Kate said before addressing ducky, "This is Mossad officer Ziva David Tony's overprotective girlfriend and sister to Ari who recently came to the state to help Tony recover from his bout with the plague."

"I am afraid Tony has not told me about you doctor mallard "Ziva said still eyeing him up suspiciously.

"Ah well, most people call me ducky you may do so as well my dear."

"The corps-talker with the endless stories, yes?"

"A dreadful term but yes I do hold conversations with the deceased in hopes they reveal the secrets of their demise and I do have many a tale to spin from my numerous travels. But enough about me how did our dear Anthony get into this mess."

Kate explained the rest of the story and how Tony got shot.

"What a tragedy first Geralt now Anthony, a most dastardly fellow that Ari, I'm sorry my dear "he said addressing Ziva, "but Jethro is going after him and is not intending to bring him anywhere but a slab on my table and I fully support him in that endeavour."

"I do not know what to think or feel about Ari anymore, he is my brother and I love him but what he did to Tony and the man I saw him as do not comply. "Ziva said sadly.

"You are not at fault for your brother's actions, and you shouldn't feel guilty, this situation was outside of your hands. Now if you will excuse me, I will inquire about Anthony's condition I have a few people who owe me a favour or two around here."

After a while ducky came back updating them on Tony's condition. "He's stable, he's lost a lot of blood but they are confident he'll make a full recovery although his recovery will be long and hard due to the weakened state his body was in prior to the shooting. They have removed the bullet from one wound the other was a through and through they are settling him into a room right now, they will call for us once he's ready, I have explained the situation and the risk Anthony still faces and have managed to let us visit him faster then usual."

"Thank you doctor "Ziva said gratefully a small smile gracing her lips now that she new Tony was going to be alright.

"Call me ducky and It is my pleasure dear, it is not my first time I had to deal with Tony being admitted to a hospital."

"Tony does tend to attract danger" Kate said.

"I believe Anthony tries to make his life mimic the bond films he enjoys so much: danger, fast cars and beautiful women, he only needs a faster car to achieve it now "ducky said with a kind smile towards Ziva.

Soon they where allowed to visit a sleeping Tony Dinozzo and Ziva had taken immediate position next to him eyeing the door scaring all the nurses and doctors who came by while ducky mediated with them and made sure they did not kick out the gun wielding Ziva .

So when Abby came franticly bursting into the room she was met with the barrel of a gun.

"Ah! Kate help!" she yelped.

"You should calm down my dear, Abigail here works with us she is our forensic scientist and a good friend to Anthony." Ducky said gently defusing the situation.

"Ah yes, the goth in the lab Tony told me about you, I am Ziva, sorry about that I would rather not take risks at the moment."

"So you point a gun at everyone who comes in the room?" Abby asked.

"Yes, it is necessary to protect my love," she said one hand on her gun the other rubbing the back of Tony's hand.

"So you're Tony's spy girlfriend everyone's talking about?"

"People have been talking about me? "she inquired.

"Well yes, don't people gossip in Mossad? Tony and I are actually the gossip king and queen at NCIS."

"Yes I guess an co-worker dating a foreign intelligence officer is news, and it does not surprise me that Tony gossips when he talks about work he makes it sound like one of your American shampoo opera's."

"Uhm I think you mean soap opera's "Kate said confused.

"Same difference" she said shrugging but her eyes got sad, "Tony would always correct my American idioms she said before leaning over and kissing his cheek."

"You really love him don't you? "Abby asked.

"Yes" she said voice small," I never got to tell him, Ari came to the apartment because of me, because of me Tony got shot."

"Hey don't worry we'll keep Tony safe and we'll find Ari before he does something bad. Gibbs will get him, I guarantee that." Kate said

"I ran the fingerprints found on a glass of wine in Tony's apartment and it confirmed Ari was indeed there, it should allow Gibbs to convince the rest of the alphabet soup that Ari is not on our side."

"Yes," Ziva said "it seems he has indeed fallen to Hamas, I do not know how or why but it seems Ari has betrayed his country, his agency and his family. My father will be furious that his prized agent has turned on him."

The use of the word agent instead of son was not lost on them but none of them commented on it.

"Any news from Mossad or your father?" Kate asked.

"I have left a message, I am sure they are frantically trying to figure out what is going and in as much disbelief as me as to what officer Haswari has become."

Another hour after Abby arrived Tony began to stir awake.

"Tony, ahuvi." Ziva said as she stroked his hair.

Tony looked at her through blurred eyes, "sweetcheeks?"

"I'm here ahuvi, you are safe do not worry."

"Did we get Ari?"

"He got away, he almost killed you. Next time he tries I will kill him."

"But he is your brother, "Tony said.

"Yes, but I will still kill him, he almost made me lose you Tony, I love you Tony I will not let him get to you again."

Tony's face lit up at her confession but soon pain wiped it away.

"You are in pain "Ziva stated.

"Kinda got shot Zeevah. "

"We'll give you some morphine," ducky said.

"We need to get your statement first, you know how you get on painkillers Tony "Kate said.

Tony took a deep breath before talking, "Sex Ziva good, Ari apartment bad, Ari brother Ziva confused, toilet suspicious snake, phone Gibbs, Ari gun pain, Ziva worried no like, now drugs."

"That seems to correspond with miss David's statement "Kate concluded used to Tony's antics "you can administer the pain medication now."

Ziva pressed the button to release morphine generously, "your hands always bring me pleasure " Tony joked and Ziva softly laughed.

Ziva began softly singing in Hebrew to Tony and combined with the drugs it seemed to lull him into sleep, " _ani ohev otach"_ he muttered before falling asleep.

Ziva fought back tears as emotion caught up to her.

Seeing the conflict in her Abby decided to risk it and came towards the assassin and tentatively wrapped her arms around her. "Hey it's okay to feel sad and confused, this whole situation with your brother and Tony, it must take it toll."

"Yes, Tony always said I should be more open not that he is any better."

"What did it mean? what he said before falling asleep." Abby asked gently.

"He told me he loved me, he does not speak Hebrew so he must have looked up the phrase and how to pronounce it "Ziva said a smile on her face.

"That's so sweet "Abby said "Tony always acts like the charmer and womanizer but I always knew that deep down he's a romantic. "

"He is "Ziva said softly running her hand through his hair as he slept peacefully as a baby.

McGee joined them a while later. "How is he "

"He will be alright in time al tough his recovery will be long and difficult as his body as not yet healed fully from his dance with the plague but young Anthony is fighting it seems he has a lot to live for." ducky answered gesturing towards Ziva who still held Tony's hand next to his bedside.

"You must be agent Probie wan Kenobi," Ziva said addressing the newest arrival.

McGee groaned while Kate and Abby giggled.

"What's going on? I don't understand. "Ziva said.

"That's not his actual name just a nickname Tony has for him, he's actually called McGee or Tim or Timmy but only I call him that or timothy but only ducky calls him that." Abby explained.

"Any news on Ari?" Kate asked.

"We couldn't find him but Gibbs finally managed to convince homeland and the FBI that Ari's gone rogue, I also had to tell officer David that she has a conference call in MTAC with her father and that Gibbs wants to talk with her back at the Navy Yard."

"I need to be here, with Tony he needs me "Ziva said fiercely, grasping Tony's hand tighter.

"I'm just the messenger "Tim said feeling threatened.

"You should go Ziva, I'll stay here and keep Tony safe "Kate said, "the sooner Ari is dealt with the sooner this will all be over."

 **A/N: Hope you enjoyed the first chapter of 'A Plague, a Babe and a Bastard', It will probably only have one other chapter because this was just a fun what if idea and I don't really see the story going anywhere, if you have any ideas for an ending or something you'd like to see don't hesitate to post it in a review or pm me because I only have vague ideas and I don't want to just copy what happened in the show for the final Ari Ziva confrontation.**

 **Also for those wondering this does not include the Eli orders Ziva to kill Ari retcon because I think it completely ruined her character since her deciding to save Gibbs and kill Ari was in my opinion the defining moment in her story.**

 **I'm going to upload a new story or chapter each Friday: next week's will be 'A Team Leader's Fate' a fun little one shot followed by another Ziva returns one shot called 'too much luggage' the week after that the next and probably final chapter of this fic will be uploaded so in three weeks time. If I have it written by then of course.**

 **-Kazot**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS**

 **Also: this fic briefly and very slightly touches on the Israel-Palestine conflict and just to be clear I support the UN two-state solution.**

Previously on A Plague, a Babe and a Bastard:

" _Tony, meet my brother Ari"_

" _Boss! there are two trained assassins in my bedroom and all I have on me is my boxers and a phone."_

" _When you get told your boyfriend almost died of the damn plague wouldn't you come over and take care of him to make sure he recovers?"_

" _he has this thing he does with his tongue..."_

" _I believe Anthony tries to make his life mimic the bond films he enjoys so much: danger, fast cars and beautiful women, he only needs a faster car to achieve it now." Ducky said with a kind smile towards Ziva._

" _You really love him don't you? "_

" _the sooner Ari is dealt with the sooner this will all be over."_

" _the next and probably final chapter of this fic will be uploaded in three weeks time" -kazot January 25th 2019, lol sorry bout that_

And now months later: the final chapter:

* * *

"All the fingerprints definitely belong to Ari, you have everything to prove he's indeed the scumbag we know he is." Abby said to Gibbs in the orange walled office.

During her explanation Kate joined the two.

"Thanks Abbs." Gibbs said giving her a kiss on the cheek before turning toward Kate. "DiNozzo alright?"

"He's asleep and he's got McGee and Ducky for company."

"And the girlfriend?" Gibbs asked.

"She isn't here?" Kate asked with a confused expression, We sent her on her way over an hour ago.

"Then where the hell is she?" Gibbs growled.

* * *

"Ah Ziva I'm glad you came." Ari said, a downward motion of his hand made his companions lower their guns. He then motioned for them to leave the two of them alone.

"You owe me an explanation Ari."

"I am sorry about your lover."

"You're sorry!? You killed the man I loved for no reason and you expect me to let you get away with it? with a simple I'm sorry!?" She yelled flaring up in anger.

"No reason? I have every reason to, He is an enemy, one of them, in this game there is us and them, there is no in-between. "

"What game Ari? what is this madness you're talking about?"

"The game we've all been playing for years nown, the one our dear father taught us to play, the one I intend to win."

"What do you want Ari what is your goal in this game?"

"Simply? to kill father, but simple it is not. "

"You kill my love, then you want to kill my father and you honestly expect me to help you."

"If you finally want to be free then yes. You talk about love but you don't know what you talk about, love is not something for people like us, for what he turned us into. I've had to tell people I loved them to spy on them, to learn their family's dirty secrets before killing them one by one and finally even those I had to profess that love to even tough she had nothing to do with it, knew too little to be condemned but too much to be left alive. And I'm sure you've gone through similar things. Not only that, I had to love the one who put me through this, the one who made me like this, I wanted to be a doctor, to help people, not kill them, and my mother, my dear sweet mother, she was innocent and kind, everything I wanted to be, everything I could be if not for him, so much like the dear sweet Tali you cannot let go."

"Do not bring Tali into this." Ziva snapped, "She was innocent, she was the best of us, she had nothing to do with this."

"Innocent she is." Ari agreed noddingly, "but she has everything to do with this. He uses her, her death, to manipulate you, to use you, it motivates you does it not? her death, it's why you joined Mossad. Anytime he wants you to do something and you are not sure, you are hesitant, all he has to do is mention her and you do as he says cause it hurts too much, she was too good not to be given justice. She is as much a victim of Eli then anything else."

"What do you mean? father is as destroyed an angry about her death as I am, it drives him as much as it does me."

"I suppose if there was one of us he loved, it would be her, he would never have put her through everything he did with us. And that is exactly why she died, he never loved your mother, I do not think that surprises you by now seeing how easy he let her go, a beautiful trophy wife for an ambitious man, you his perfect weapon, his sharp end of the spear was relatively safe in the IDF and me his perfect mole for Hamas, I was in Scotland training to be a doctor, it was not a random bombing like he claimed, she was targeted for exactly that reason, for being loved by the great Eli David the rising star in Mossad, he caused her death and then he has the gall to use her death to make you do all his dirty deeds."

"I use it to fight evil Ari, her death motivates me to do good, like she would have wanted."

"Evil? fighting innocent men trying to win back their land, to reclaim their homes."

"Innocent men? They are terrorists, they are the ones who killed Tali. "

"Terrorists? You've only ever killed terrorists? Never an innocent bystander? Someone there at the wrong place at the wrong time? Someone whose only crimes is being just slightly associated with so called terrorists, if you truly believe they were all evil, all those you've slain then you are as naive as dear sweet Tali herself, what would she think of all you did? of all the murder and death in her name."

Ziva was at a loss for words.

"You feel dirty now don't you, used and abused by your own father, trying to do good to upheld the memory of a loved one but doing the opposite instead, he did the same with me but with my mother instead orchestrating her death himself, it will never end not until we free ourselves of men like him, until we free the world of them."

"What do you want me to do?" Ziva said resolutely her footing steadfast she'd heard enough.

Ari smiled in victory, "Tell our dear beloved father I want to see him, in person, tell him I have important sensitive information, that the American's are obstructing my work and that it has to be in person."

* * *

When the elevator door opened Ziva came face to face with agent Gibbs. He blocked her escape and walked into the elevator himself, immediately pulling the emergency switch leaving them in darkness if not for the blue light shining dimly above them.

"Where were you?" He demanded

"I had to make a detour, Mossad business."

"Thought your father wanted to talk with you here, in MTAC."

"As a sign of courtesy, he does not want so many Americans listening in to our conversations."

"It is a secure line."

"As you say," She smiled "I only ask secure from whom?"

"You do not trust us?"

"I trust you, Tony loves you, almost as much as films or me, so I will put my faith in his judgement and trust you, but my father is a different matter, he is a complicated man. "

"What are you playing Ziva?" He asked, "What is your plan."

"I plan on getting everyone out of this mess alive." She said determined, "I seem to be the only one that does."

"Even your brother?" He asked but she did not answer only flicked the switch and walked out.

When Ziva reached the mezzanine overlooking the rest of the office she was met with a similar wave of red hair.

"Jenny!" She greeted with a smile. "It's been too long."

"Ziva!" She smiled back before hugging her and exchanging kisses on cheeks, "That it has, I heard you got yourself involved in some trouble and a certain agent of ours."

She smiled a bit at her before her face turned stone cold again, "I must talk with your director about it, urgently, for all of our sakes."

"Good thing you're looking at her then." Jenny said with a little proud smile.

"Wow." Ziva said confused and glad for her friend, "Congratulations."

"No time for those, I believe it's time to do something about this situation, not celebrate." She said, turning into serious leader mode came quick for the newly appointed director it seemed. "Come, to my new office, I believe we have things to discuss."

* * *

Ziva waited tapping her foot until the image of her father appeared on the screen. "Greetings aba."

"Ah Zivaleh." He smiled waiting until the technicians had left leaving them to talk alone, "Tell me what is this trouble Ari has found himself in."

"He is close to something, something big, he cannot tell me what, the Americans are watching me too closely. He wants to tell you in person, the information is too valuable, it would not be in our best interests for it to fall in American hands or even in those of the rest of Mossad."

"I know nothing of this, I cannot just go to America." He said.

"I don't know anything either aba, these are his words not mine, I only know he is genuine in his concerns."

"And you Ziva, I thought you were there on a visit not work."

"I was, not anymore, this is too important to sit on the side-lines."

"What about this lover of yours? Ari supposedly shot him."

"He..." Ziva said the words coming out with difficulty, "He was a mistake, Ari has shown me that, I was stupid and naive but Ari has shown me the truth."

"Good." Eli said, "He has always been a smart one that son of mine."

"So will you come? Ari is desperate and he is counting on us, we are the only ones he trusts."

Eli sighed, "I will have to wear a hat, it is cold there this time of year and I will need to drink the horrible brew they call coffee there, to not stand out amongst the herd of American sheep."

* * *

"Whose that." Kate asked as Tony's girlfriend and a redheaded lady came out of the director's office.

"Jennifer Shephard, our new director." Abby said sipping on a Caffpow!.

"I didn't know Morrow would leave."

"No one did, he got offered a job as deputy director at homeland, he wanted the transition to be smooth and quiet."

"How do you know then?" Kate asked incredulously.

"I have my sources." Abby grinned as she sucked glorious Caffpow! through her straw.

"Well we could use a few more women at the top around here, it's been too much of a boys only club for far too long, could you imagine someone like Gibbs or DiNozzo in that seat, it would be madness, chaos, she seems well put together, let's hope she can handle Gibbs and we'll be fine."

Abby grinned wickedly at her," I think she can, they used to be lovers, she and Gibbs, in Paris of all places."

"She and Gibbs?" Kate asked with wide eyes, "And now she's his boss, I almost cant believe it."

"Oh we'll see." Abby said before pointing Kate's attention at something, "look the Bossman is going in, poor Tony he would love to see this." She said as the silver fox went up to the red haired one.

Gibbs smiled as he walked up towards the redheaded beauty, "I must say I'm surprised to see you Jen."

"I surprised the great all knowing Leroy Jethro Gibbs? I suppose this is the best welcome home gift I could ask for." She teased with a smile, "It's good to see you too Jethro."

"What brings you back in town Jen?"

"Work Jethro, simply work."

"What does morrow have you do now?" He asked.

"Replace him." Jenny smiled.

"You're the new director?" He asked with a shocked look in his eyes.

"Yes Jethro, I am, I'm not your Probie anymore, those times are long gone and some people spent them moving forward, going up in the world."

"Always so driven, so passionate, it's always been what I liked about you."

"That's the only thing you liked about me?" Jenny asked with a knowing smile.

Flashes of Paris entered his mind and he grinned to her amusement, "No it's not."

"No, I did not think my work ethic is what got you interested."

"So what does the new director plan on doing about this whole situation, you were in there with her for a long time."

"We came up with a plan, I know you may not like it but for once just do as you are told and trust us."

"You trust her?"

"I do with my life and You should trust her too Jethro, she's good at what she does and has a good heart, of that I'm sure, if you trust me you should trust her"

"I'm not sure I do, not after Paris."

"A pained expression filled her face, still bitter about that? It was for the best, for both of us, even if the ending stung. "

"It did more then sting Jen."

She sighed heavily, "Some things are not meant to last Jethro, things change, for the better or worse we can't know, but its for us to decide, and I think you should trust her, for once she has something to live for, a future, something she never had when I met her and I truly believe she wants to do everything in her power to make things right, you're a man stuck in the past Jethro put your faith in those looking to the future for once."

* * *

"Calm down Ziva! I'm not a young man anymore, in fact I'm quite old now and not suited anymore for this running around business." Eli said, indeed with a grey beret on his head, wearing a long beige trench coat and a paper cup of coffee in his hand looking every bit like a tourist as he hurried behind his daughter.

"We must be sure we aren't seen by the Americans or others, surely you have not forgotten all your training sitting in the director's chair."

"I trained you remember." He said finally catching up fuelled by his hurt pride, "All you know I taught you."

"And you taught me well aba." Ziva said as she walked into an abandoned warehouse.

"It's a shame we're going to use it against you." Ari said as he suddenly came from a shadowed corner in the warehouse.

"Ari what are you talking about?"

"Justice." He spat his fist coming down on his father, knocking out the man before his body even reached the dusty concrete floor.

When Eli woke up, the world was still spinning around him, he could feel blood trickling down the side of his head, he had probably fallen on something after the hit.

Ari was the first thing he got to see clearly as his vision steadied. "Ari what is going on? What is this madness?"

"This isn't madness, this is justice father. They want information." He gestured to his armed companions. "We want revenge." Ari said calmly but his eyes only held uncontrollable rage as he opened his switchblade, the very knife Eli had given him when he first joined Mossad. Behind his son his other child stepped from the darkness, her eyes held a range of emotions, they always spoke so much his Zivaleh's eyes but he could never decipher them, not even now.

As Ari approached, knife drawn, to the chair Eli was bound to, the man was overwhelmed with a fear he hadn't felt in a long time, not since retiring from active duty, not since he started climbing towards the director's chair of Mossad. "Ari you wouldn't, not your own father."

Ari laughed, his soft laugh of mild amusement, he'd never heard a full laugh from the man, not since he was a boy, before his mother died. "My own father," He spat, "who used me as a tool, a weapon against my own people."

"You are not one of them Ari, you are Israeli, from my own blood. You were a soldier, a protector against evil."

"Hah, I am nothing more then a weapon, a happy accident from one of your missions, the perfect mole against your enemies. You see switching from one side to another, lying to myself and the world, it made me realise things, there is no such thing as good or evil. It is simply an excuse men like you use to justify their actions. I don't need justification for mine, this is simple justice. "

"And you Ziva." Eli asked looking past Ari and the knife dangling too close for comfort, "You agree with this madness? you have also turned against our people?"

"I am done aba, with killing, with war, with Mossad, with you. When this is over, I will finally be free and I will disappear from all this pain and conflict you have caused. "

"So this is it then? all I have done, the blood, the sweat, the tears, all I have sacrificed it has led to this, my own children turning on me, to die by the very people I raised. "

"I am afraid so aba." Ziva said as she walked up to him gun at the ready she placed it at his kneecap a particular form of torture he'd taught her himself. "The game you have been playing is finally over and you have lost." Ziva said but she did not look at her father but at Ari as her gun fired.

A white blinding flash appeared in front of Eli as his entire vision turned white, his ears were ringing, the outside world completely hidden from him as he fell and fell, until he could feel it, his head colliding with the ground as pain erupted on the back of his skull.

Ziva had kicked his chair after giving the signal to protect him from the carnage as a flashbang was thrown in surprising all but her, she had shot those with the most dangerous weaponry with excellent precisions ending their lives with quick bullets to the brain.

Shouts of NCIS! Federal agents! Drop your weapon! Surrounded her next to those of gunfire, groans of death and men being forced to the ground.

When the commotion cleared all were dead or disarmed on the ground, all but one. Ari stood over his father who was still bound to the chair the gun pointed right in his face, as a dozen others pointed at Ari.

"Ah agent Gibbs, Caitlin, how nice of you to join our little family reunion." Ari smiled at the Americans as they held him at gunpoint.

"Drop the weapon Ari." Ziva shouted, her own gun aimed at his head.

"Ah but that would mean the end of my little game wouldn't it. And I so enjoyed playing it, I however did not realise there was a third player, you learned so well from him Ziva, lying, manipulating, stabbing me in the back."

"I had to Ari, to save lives, now drop the weapon so we can avoid more bloodshed."

"That would be admitting defeat, and I do not like losing Ziva, you should know that by now."

"It's over Ari, no escaping this time." Gibbs yelled.

"I would not say that agent Gibbs you see, you cannot afford to lose my dear father for your oh so valuable ally in the east. And I, I would very much like to walk out of here, almost as much as I'd like him not to." He said pointing his gun further towards his father.

"You would die before you pulled the trigger." Ziva said.

He softly laughed, "And who would manage that? you would not shoot your brother, family is everything to you Ziva."

"Take me as a hostage instead then." Kate said walking forwards, her gun held idly in her hands pointing upwards. "They will never let you leave with him as your hostage, take me, I would be less of a hassle to move."

Ari chuckled softly, "Ah Caitlin, I always liked you, and it does not surprise me I left an impression on you, do you enjoy it?" He smiled "This power I have over you. Being in my control."

"It sickens me, you sicken me, you certainly left an impression." She said moving closer and closer to him, "I have profiled you for months endlessly, obsessively and I learned one very crucial thing." Kate said as she stood inches from Ari, her breath caressing his face, "You are as easily distracted by women as they are by you." Ziva's gun fired and before Ari could react the bullet penetrated his leg, which was swiftly kicked by Kate forcing him on the ground next to his father while agent Todd kicked his gun out of his reach and pointed her own down at him, her boot holding him down as he groaned in pain.

They all let out a breath of relief. "Good work, Kate, Ziva." Gibbs said turning to the Israeli.

"Thank you, it seems we make a good team." She smiled.

"He chuckled yeah we do."

* * *

Ziva walked up to the ambulance Ari was being hauled into halting the EMT's before they closed the doors.

"So you have finally chosen a side Ziva." Ari spat, "It wasn't me or father however he spat, I trusted you and you turned towards the Americans."

Ziva sighed, "The world is not just you and father Ari, there is more to it then this revenge fantasy of yours, it is done now."

"You learned so well from him, you truly are our father's daughter, lying and manipulating, he must be so proud. "

"It was all I could do to keep you alive, You have information they want Ari, you can give it to them or they can take it from you. I saved your life, how comfortable it is, that is up to you. Goodbye, Ari, I hope I never see you again, as to not spoil the memories we had."

Ziva left the ambulance never looking back, letting them haul her brother away, his future in his own hands, a life as a valuable informant or a trip to a certain Cuban island. She walked to the last remnant of her old family who was being treated close by.

"What was this all about Ziva? I do not understand." Eli said as he shrugged of the EMT tending to his head wound.

"There was no information aba, Ari had been working for Hamas for years now, fuelled by anger and hatred for you, I assume I don't have to tell you why, you aren't that clueless. He wanted me to lure you here to kill you."

"And you did." He stated with anger.

"Yes as a trap to catch Ari and the rest of them."

"Why was I not informed of this? why go to the Americans and not Mossad?"

"I am done with Mossad Aba, with the secrets and the violence, it is done for me."

"You are the sharp end of the spear my Zivaleh, you are the best agent I have, and you are still so young, so much room to improve, to climb higher, reach further then I even got."

"I do not want that aba, it is not living and I want to live, I have a future here in America, with Tony."

"You would leave Israel defenceless, let the killers of your sister run free to spread more death and destruction, so you can run of to America with your lover?" He accused.

"Israel would not be defenceless! There are plenty of others to defend her, it has you has it not! It is all you do day in day out, all you care about. I am done letting you control me, I am done letting you use Tali's death to manipulate me, at least Ari saw that clearly even through the madness you drove him to, all you do is use and abuse us, your own children! you got to ruin Ari but I will not succumb to it."

"You cannot just leave Israel and become an American it does not work like that, Ziva David is Israeli, a spy, they would never accept you as one of their own, they will not trust you."

"They will not? They already did, or did you forget who set up this whole thing? Ziva David is death, I made a deal and I will get a clean slate, a new identity, a new life, in a new home, it is what is best for me."

"So that is it then, you have abandoned us? your own land, your own family."

Ziva shook her head, "Yes I guess I have, it is what you have driven me too, congratulations in all your ambition you have lost your daughter to a war you couldn't stop but kept provoking, your wife left you due to your inability to love, hatred has turned your son to madness and I have abandoned you to get a chance to live, goodbye aba, I hope you are proud of your accomplishments."

She walked away and for the first time in her life she was guideless, fatherless, without someone pointing her towards a path. There where so many to chose from as doubt and worry suddenly crept over her, it seemed freedom did come with a price.

It was then that agent Gibbs approached her. "You alright." He asked, a simple question really, but it seemed like the most complicated riddle in that moment.

"No." She said after a long pause, she did not know why but there was something about the man that made her want to open up. Something in his eyes told her he understood exactly what she was feeling now. "I'm done looking back, I don't want to be held hostage by my past anymore, I don't want to be surrounded with dead and destruction anymore, I want to laugh, to smile, to look forward."

"If you want to laugh, you should definitely not be here with me, but I do know someone whose good for that," Gibbs said before pausing, "only that really."

She smiled at him, maybe the answer wasn't that hard, maybe it had been there all along, motivating her through this mess, forcing her to come out intact.

"Thank you for trusting me agent Gibbs."

"Don't thank me, thank our mutual friends." Gibbs said, "My door is always open, DiNozzo knows the way."

* * *

Ziva was completely spent when she reached the hospital room, still in the same sweaty clothes, not that she cared, she just needed to see him, she needed Tony.

He was turned away from her, his attention on the relatively small tv, at least compared to his, that was turned on an old movie channel as his lips softly moved with the dialogues he probably knew from heart, she watched him for a while, enjoying his innocence from what had occurred outside his hospital room.

She walked up to him as silently as she could managing to sit on his bed until he finally noticed her. She loved his reaction when she surprised him like this, startled but with a wide smile like a lost puppy seeing its owner.

"Hey my ninja, you're back, you were gone for so long, I had to have Probie keep me company, if I wasn't pumped full of morphine I wouldn't have survived."

She laughed at him, a full on giggle, something only Tony ever made her do after Tali, it wasn't funny really, she just needed to laugh and his expression filled face was enough for her.

"Poor Tony." She teased, "While I was out saving lives, you were drugged up watching movies and bullying agent McGee. "

"So you got him? Ari I mean."

"He is in custody with the rest of them, US custody, and my father and the NCIS agents are safe and sound. "

"Your father? What was he doing here? Shouldn't he be in Israel?"

She sighed reluctant to tell the long and painful tale.

"Come on Ziva." He begged, "I have to know. Did you do some badass ninja moves, or super secret spy stuff. Was it very James Bond" He asked in his best Connery impression.

"Later, I promise." She smiled, "Let's just say it involves a certain ninja who worked very hard and would very much like her reward right now." She purred, seductively tracing his jaw with a finger.

Tony obliged as their lips met before opening to let their tongues dance. Ziva moaned as Tony deepened the kiss until he suddenly pulled back and looked at her with wide shocked eyes. "wait!"

"Am I your Bondgirl!?"

The end.

 **A/N: hope you enjoyed it and again sorry for the wait but the result is a lot better for it I think. I massively fell out of love with this fic until last Sunday when it suddenly came to me this ending which is much better then what I would have come up with if I really forced myself to write it.**

 **Also: I haven't watched the Ari episodes in a while but I really didn't want to re-watch them so if he's completely different then that's my bad. And I changed his motivation from hurting Gibbs but not killing him cause he reminds me of my dad to I want to kill my dad cause it's a lot more logical and works better In this story.**

 **Feedback: I'm going to ask for specific feedback cause 'I liked it' or 'good job' is really nice to read but I am really trying to use this to get better as a writer (to maybe one day become a professional one) so if you could please answer these questions.**

 **1\. how did you like Ari's speech(s)? it's the first time I've written a badguy speech and their motivations are notoriously illogical and bad, but did I manage to give him a convincing reason/motivation for his actions via his monologues.**

 **2\. I tried to fool people with what ziva's actions where and the whole did Eli just die thing, did I manage to fool you even for a bit or was it clear what I was trying to do the whole time.**

 **3\. How did you like this whole idea of Tali's death being used to manipulate Ziva (whether consciously or subconsciously) by Eli. I kinda fell in love with it and plan to use it in my future fics.**

 **Schedule: I stopped giving hard dates for obvious reasons, this fic being more then two months late and all. But I'll just tell you what I'm writing (in detail for if you're interested if not just turn back now, it's ramble-y in my usual style) it basically falls in 4 categories:**

 **1\. Rewrite series: these are all Casefics made to resemble and episode but more focus on subplots containing emotions, and character development and the like, the first one "'Bed burial'" is already being uploaded but no one is reading that so well what can you do.**

 **2\. Romance, these are all Tiva of course I have one being uploaded that is about Tony leaving for Rota and how that works with Ziva called 'Rota', I think I see fanfiction different then most people I don't just see it as something very niche or something that just adds something to the canon (not that there's anything wrong with those) but as full story where I just choose a start point in the setting and use the characters but the plot is fully original. And I don't think for a full story, Romance is strong enough it needs something extra and I don't want to bother with action or massive conflict/drama so I'll be adding smut scenes to those to keep it interesting since my rewrite series is going to feature all the cases and action I can think off. I want to write a really long one that's about what would happen if Ziva and Tony got together soon after meeting and dealing with the obvious problems that would occur, in my rewrite series and how I think it should have happened in the show they solve their big problems before they get together and they solve some smaller ones together so the romance part doesn't overtake the whole story but in this it will be the focus and they will have to solve those problems (commitment issues, the whole stuck between NCIS an Mossad thing) together with some splattering of smut thrown in-between to keep it interesting.**

 **3\. Pure smut: while the romance stories above will contain smut I actually try to delve into the characters and develop them in those and I actually try to make it quality writing while these will be just straight up porn with maybe a smidgen of plot that is solely in function of the sex. ( but hey I heard erotica sells well and most writers are too uncomfortable to write it but If I can monetize my dirty brain in the future then why not practice with these.**

 **4\. miscellaneous things: random stories that just pop up in my head, from one-shots to crossovers with other fandoms, for example I have one idea of a fic in which Gibbs died instead of Kate and we see Tony deal with everything, with a follow-up tiva tate love triangle story.**

 **Non-NCIS: I have some asoaif fics in the works for those interested, and I've written a lot of Avatar fanfics that I never uploaded and I am starting to get the itch to go back edit them and upload them so be on the lookout if you're a fan of those fandoms.**

 **Request: Can people write some Tiva stuff that is set pre-Somalia, cause all the stuff on new is either, kid/pregnancy things which isn't really my thing, just something that adds flavour/context to the canon which isn't either or post Somalia which either deals with Somalia directly which is honestly a bit too heavy for me or it features self-hatred angsty in her head Ziva and lovesick semi-depressed jealous Tony and it really just isn't my thing and I've read to many of those and I'd like some variation, if you set it earlier you get mega sexy Ziva and the mega man-child Tony. You can do Ziva's demossadification and Tony's commitment issues and so many other things. Basically I feel like I'm the only one writing the type of fics I write and I'd like some friendly competition and something to actually read.**


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